’You have nothing to do for an hour, and there are many things I want to speak to you about’

‘The only way to be strong is never to surrender to one’s weakness,’ he said, almost in a whisper, as though ashamed to talk so intimately.

‘Then you won’t come?’

‘No.’

It was not necessary to specify the matter which it was proposed to discuss.  Arthur knew perfectly that Susie wished to talk of Margaret, and he was too straightforward to pretend otherwise.  Susie paused for one moment.

’I was never able to give Margaret your message.  She did not write to me.’

A certain wildness came into his eyes, as if the effort he made was almost too much for him.

‘I saw her in Monte Carlo,’ said Susie.  ’I thought you might like to hear about her.’

‘I don’t see that it can do any good,’ he answered.

Susie made a little hopeless gesture.  She was beaten.

‘Shall we go?’ she said.

‘You are not angry with me?’ he asked.  ’I know you mean to be kind.  I’m very grateful to you.’

‘I shall never be angry with you,’ she smiled.

Arthur paid the bill, and they threaded their way among the tables.  At the door she held out her hand.

’I think you do wrong in shutting yourself away from all human comradeship,’ she said, with that good-humoured smile of hers.  ’You must know that you will only grow absurdly morbid.’

‘I go out a great deal,’ he answered patiently, as though he reasoned with a child.  ’I make a point of offering myself distractions from my work.  I go to the opera two or three times a week.’

‘I thought you didn’t care for music.’

‘I don’t think I did,’ he answered.  ‘But I find it rests me.’

He spoke with a weariness that was appalling.  Susie had never beheld so plainly the torment of a soul in pain.

‘Won’t you let me come to the opera with you one night?’ she asked.  ’Or does it bore you to see me?’

‘I should like it above all things,’ he smiled, quite brightly.  ’You’re like a wonderful tonic.  They’re giving Tristan on Thursday.  Shall we go together?’

‘I should enjoy it enormously.’

She shook hands with him and jumped into a cab.

‘Oh, poor thing!’ she murmured.  ‘Poor thing!  What can I do for him?’

She clenched, her hands when she thought of Margaret.  It was monstrous that she should have caused such havoc in that good, strong man.

‘Oh, I hope she’ll suffer for it,’ she whispered vindictively.  ’I hope she’ll suffer all the agony that he has suffered.’